Pocket Stuff: Leatherman Flair, keyring, knife, flashlight, spork, fountain pen, wallet, lighter, lip balm, small Nalgene for salt, and a random orange.
“EDC is a collection of various, handpicked items carried on a daily basis. More importantly, it is a systematic approach to being prepared for anything the day requires.”
Believe it or not there is a group of people who are obsessed with what is in their pockets or at the least on their person each time they go out. They call this pocket stuff EDC or Every Day Carry, meaning the things you never leave home without. There are entire YouTube channels and websites devoted to the topic. Some are more general and encompass all the items that might possibly be EDC such as: watches, pens, wallets, flashlights and more, while others drill down on one type of item, say pocket knives.
Then there are branches of EDC folks who are thinking along lines a bit more intense. These are the preppers and the survivalists who have bags devoted to allowing them to survive in a crisis of any kind.
EDC does not usually include the things that many people actually do carry every day. For example, a smart phone, a tablet, a computer would not be considered EDC even if you carry them every day. On the other hand, a notebook and pen could be EDC. EDC enthusiasts even fancy themselves a cohesive group (they’re not) and refer to themselves as the “EDC Community.” I have a fascination with all of this stuff and consume a lot of EDC and prepper content.
I was a Boy Scout for a few years. I didn’t think much of the paramilitary aspects of the group. Nor did I care much for accumulating merit badges or rank. When my troop dissolved when I was 15 or 16, I had only achieved the rank of first class, which was a long way from Eagle Scout. I was a Boy Scout mostly because we went on a camping trip every month and because I liked the gear that went along with camping: flashlights, lighters, lanterns powered by gasoline, compasses, and other cool stuff, much of which you could stash in your pockets.
One thing I did like about the Boy Scout “ethos” was contained in the scout motto: “Be Prepared.” Be prepared for what exactly? For anything!
Have you ever thought that when Tom Hanks’s character Chuck Noland got stranded on the Island in Castaway he would have had a much easier time if he’d had a lighter and a knife in his pocket? I have!
Sometime last spring I met my friend Scott for lunch at a “healthy food” themed restaurant in Fairfax, Va. As I sat down, I noticed that there were no saltshakers on the table. Fearing the worst, I drew a tiny bottle of salt from my pocket and placed it on the table as I sat down. “Salt,” I told him. “Just in case.”
He immediately insisted on my emptying my pockets and showing him what else I had. On the chance that it may interest you or even inspire you to add to your EDC, I’ll share the contents with you as I did with him that day.
Here’s what is in my pockets today and most days.
My keyring. Attached to it are my house keys and post office box key, a metal tube with a waterproof screw top that holds a two-week supply of levothyroxine (my thyroid medication), a bottle cap lifter, an AirTag in case I lose the key ring, and a mini rechargeable flashlight the size of my thumb.
A pocket knife. Most days I carry the Spyderco Chapperall - small enough that it doesn’t look like a weapon but large enough to cut slices of apple or open a box.
A lighter. (See Chuck Noland above). A simple Bic lighter would do fine but I have the Tokyo Pipe Company Field L in brass because it looks cool and is refillable, not disposable. When camping I use it to light the stove, otherwise it sits in my pocket unless a smoker needs a light.
My wallet. I have several wallets but mostly these days I am carrying a very thin wallet from a company based in Singapore called the Taurus Camp Grain Wallet. It is a beautiful little thing with no breakable parts. Each one is handmade by the guy who owns the company. He sent me a nice handwritten note with the wallet. The wallet holds what you would expect - credit cards, ID, and a few banknotes.
The sleeve I keep my phone in, which also has an AirTag in its pocket because I lose this sleeve all the time.
A 15ml Nalgene bottle of Jacobsen Sea Salt for times when I am in a restaurant, or someone’s house and the food is under salted. This happens a lot.
In addition to what is in my pockets, I also often carry a manbag (a purse by any other name). I carry the Waterfield Crossbody Essential bag in the compact size. This company makes wonderful bags. All made by hand in their shop in San Francisco. I have a lot of them.
The contents may vary depending on what I am doing that day but usually in the bag is:
Crown King of Sporks
A pouch with charging cables for my phone, watch, and iPad, and a power brick that can charge three things at once. The pouch is also made by Waterfield.
A 500ml water bottle.
An Apple magsafe battery to extend the battery life on my phone.
A notepad.
My Esterbrook Estie Fountain pen.
Chapstick.
Earplugs.
A spork so I can avoid using disposable plasticware if I get food while out and about. (I love this one in titanium. but you can get a plastic one for about $3.50.)
Sunglasses.
iPad Mini.
Apple Airpods Pro 2.
Tissues.
Yet another AirTag in case I lose the bag.
Finally, I have ANOTHER bag that I keep ready to grab should I need to evacuate quickly due to a hurricane, civic emergency, or should the Proud Boys try to take over the council chambers of our town (population 400). Inside this bag is:
My passport.
A headlamp and another flashlight.
A battery bank charger for phone or other items.
HP 12c Financial Calculator, simply the best financial calculator ever made.
A 3-month supply of levothyroxine.
One pair of my prescription glasses.
A multi-tool with screwdrivers, a blade, a can opener, and a corkscrew.
Aspirin, Advil, and Tylenol.
Band-Aids.
A simple toiletry bag with toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, nail clippers, and contact lens solution.
A notebook.
A three-month supply of fountain pen ink.
6 KIND bars.
$10,000 in diamonds.
Ok, that last item is not true. However, I do have a roll of U.S quarters and a Canadian Loonie.
When I travel, all the pocket stuff and both bags go with me, and if I am hiking my backpack has a few additional items to survive a night in the woods:
A compass and a real physical map.
A Garmin GPS device and extra batteries.
Another lighter.
A rain jacket.
A long sleeve shirt.
A warm hat.
All of which to say, that when, last Wednesday, my wife and I underestimated the time needed to complete our ambitious hike in the Adirondacks and found ourselves in the backcountry with another hour and a half still to go after sunset, we were ready. We whipped out our headlamps, strapped them to our heads and hiked on in the moonless night to arrive safely back at the trailhead where the van waited.
The world’s a narrow bridge; fear nothing.